This wonderful book describes the different traditions and festivals celebrated in Japan today and how they are influenced by a love of art, nature, beauty, and ritual. Young readers will also learn how the Japanese people celebrate family occasions.
As Americans moved across the continent, they quickly found the beautiful and dangerous West needed to be tamed. Taming the West is a graphic history that looks at how Americans carved out new homes in an alien place. Taming the West will be one book your child talks about over and over again, packed with action from the Indian Wars, the first Pony Express riders, and western outlaws.
Buddhism in Thailand follows Baan and his family, as he becomes a monk for the school holidays. Join him as he prepares to take his vows, and learns more about life as a Buddhist monk.
The second-largest country on Earth, Canada possesses a tremendous variety of natural wonders. This new second revision to Canada the Land takes students on a fascinating tour of the countrys rugged coasts, frozen northern regions, vast prairies, and majestic mountain ranges.
The contributions to arts and culture by early Islamic empires is considerable. This book explores their great works of literature, as well as such artistic works as Arabesque art, calligraphy, mosques and tombs, palaces, weaving, textiles, metalware, pottery, carvings and molded plaster, and glassware.
This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Sahara Desert in North Africa. The biggest hot desert on Earth, it covers parts of twelve countries, more area than the entire United States! The Sahara has oases scattered widely and sand dunes that can reach as high as 600 feet (182m). Readers will learn about the people, plants, and animals such as camels, goats, and fennec foxes that inhabit this desert habitat. Special sections describe the desert's natural resources, such as oil and natural gas, and the unique problems facing this region.
This book introduces young readers to their roles within a family. From brother and sister to granddaughter and friend, this title uses a child-centered approach to explain who children are to the people around them. An activity asks the readers to close their eyes and think about which role they love the best.
This question and answer book invites readers to explore the world around them. Throughout the book, children are asked, What do you see? What do I see? The response appears on the opposite page. Colorful photographs show what they see - a bee, a bunny, a chimpanzee, and even a girl in a seashell! Repetitive text patterns and rhyme engage readers as they build fundamental literacy skills.
What clothes do we wear when it is summer or winter or when it is time for bed? Appealing photos with simple labels help children learn why we wear different clothes for different seasons or for doing certain activities. A special section shows children in uniforms and costumes and asks readers to identify when each of these special clothes might be worn.
This book explores the ways in which people are different and the same. We are all living things on the same planet. We all need food, shelter, and friends. We all grow up. We also have different ways of life, and we are each good at different things. The things that are the same make us feel close to one another; the things that are different make it fun to know each other!
This interesting book shows children how our faces and body postures show the emotions we are feeling. Throughout the book and in an activity at the end, young readers are asked to figure out which emotions the children pictured in the photos are feeling. This important book will help children "read" the unspoken feelings that they and others express. It can be a big help to children with Asperger's syndrome, who may have difficulty picking up on social cues and reading the body language of others.
Playgrounds are places to play and have fun, but don't forget to watch out for potential hazards. Not taking care on playground equipment and ignoring the rules can lead to serious trouble. Safety at the Playground makes learning to take care at the playground easy for children to understand.
It is important for children to know how to keep safe while at school. Protective equipment is needed when playing contact sports or conducting experiments. Horsing around in class is a definite no when it comes to keeping safe at school.
Engineers know that there is always more than one possible solution to a problem! This interesting title uses accessible text and relatable examples to explain how engineers test and compare different solutions to determine which solution is best.
Most people try to avoid problems, but not engineers! They go out and look for problems! In this fun, new title readers will learn about the kinds of problems engineers help solve. Readers are also introduced to the tool engineers use to solve problems - the Engineering Design Process.
What does it feel like to live in a pressurized metal tube 1000 feet (300 m) under the ocean, and only steps away from lethally dangerous nuclear fissile material? Nuclear submariners know. In wartime, theirs is an unenviable task - to hunt other submarines and destroy them before they themselves can be hunted down. Nuclear power allows these submarines to operate at high speed for long durations without having to surface frequently. Nuclear submarines never need to be refueled throughout their 25-year life-span. This fascinating book looks at what life is like for the men who live and work together on these boats; what the inside of a nuclear submarine looks like and how it works; how the sea gives the submariners all the air they need to breathe while under water; and how they "fight" the boat while they hunt other submarines.
Piloting experimental aircraft is more dangerous than most other types of flying. Test pilots are generally military aviators who fly new and modified aircraft, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated. In the 1950s, test pilots were being killed at the rate of about one a week, but the risks have shrunk to a fraction of that, thanks to the sophistication of aircraft technology, better ground-testing, and simulation of aircraft performance. Despite their image as fun-loving daredevils, these pilots have to be ruthlessly precise and professional when flying. This intriguing book looks at what type of people become test pilots, how they train, what the job includes, how it feels to be the first person to fly a new design, the aircraft they fly, and how they analyze and report on each flight.
Police officers are the protective barrier standing between the public on one side and lawlessness on the other - the so-called "thin blue line." A high-stress job, officers face daily interactions in stressful situations where the element of risk is always lurking. An officer's main duty is to maintain law and order within a community, which means they are regularly face to face with citizens and out patrolling the streets. This book looks at the duties of police officers in crime prevention, the apprehension of offenders, and emergency situations.
When the heat gets turned up in a conflict, support helicopter pilots are called upon to bring in additional troops and equipment or even provide battle support from the air. In modern warfare, the helicopter's agility and hovering ability have made it indispensible to the army, navy, air force, and marines for tactical support. This book describes the different missions support helicopter pilots undertake and the dangerous circumstances they must usually fly under.
These army pilots fly the most demanding helicopter in existence, a machine so complex to operate that its known as Riding the Dragon. Only 3% of existing army helicopter pilots qualify to fly it. Trainees have to learn to train their eyes to work independently of each other while the right eye sees flight and weapons information in the helmet's monocle, the left eye is free to look outside the aircraft and scan for threats and other obstacles. And, flying the helicopter is only half the battle - its purpose is to provide firepower from the air to protect soldiers on the ground. This book lifts the lid on what life is like for these men and women: their training; the aircraft; the missions, and what its actually like to be under fire while flying.
Spotlight on South Korea introduces children to the country of South Korea in Asia whose nearest neighbors are China, Japan, and North Korea. South Korea is mostly mountainous, and there are about 3,000 islands off its coasts. Most South Koreans have moved from the countryside to the cities, especially to its capital Seoul, the country's largest city. Young readers will learn about South Korea's history, the daily life of Koreans, as well as about Korean festivals and culture.
The backbone of any army, infantry soldiers seem to get all of the action but none of the glory. Trained for the very physical and aggressive work of engaging the enemy on the ground, the infantry's main focus is to advance on the enemy, take control of territory, and hold it. Not surprisingly the infantry tends to take high casualties because they are usually sent to the hottest spots in combat. This book looks at the high-risk jobs of the infantry soldier, including attack, defense, patrol, and intelligence gathering.
This informative title introduces readers to four of the states that make up the Southwest region of the United States: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Southwest has many people of Hispanic descent as well as Native-American people from nations such as the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Apache. Readers will discover how the climate, population distribution, history, and culture of this region make it distinct.
In 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamen's tomb. In addition to unearthing astonishing artifacts, Carters discovery revealed fascinating details about King Tut's life and provided insight into ancient Egyptian culture. Engaging, approachable text and vivid images take readers inside the pharaoh's tomb as they discover ancient treasures and learn how such artifacts shed light on King Tuts reign, his family's dynasty, the mystery surrounding his death, and the theories of King Tut's curse
This modern-day pirate tale details the recent hijacking and daring rescue of the Maersk Alabama and places its gripping story in context with the evolution of piracy on the high seas.
